Bournemouth · Dorset
Attractions, activities, gardens and days out along seven miles of the Dorset coast.
Bournemouth packs a full holiday into a compact, walkable town. In a single day you can swim off a sandy beach, ride a Victorian pier, wander landscaped gardens and watch the sun set over Poole Bay from a clifftop.
This is the complete list of things to do the headline attractions, the free gardens and green spaces, the watersports on Boscombe seafront, and the coastal walks that lead out to nature reserves at either end of the bay. Filter by area to plan around where you’re staying.
Common Questions
Walk out along Bournemouth Pier, visit the Oceanarium, stroll the Victorian Lower Gardens, explore the clifftop Russell-Cotes museum, and spend a day on the beach. The coastal path east to Hengistbury Head is one of the best free days out.
The Oceanarium, the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, the town's cinemas and shopping centres, plus afternoon tea in one of the grand seafront hotels all make good rainy-day options.
Planning your visit?
Serviced apartments and aparthotels a few minutes from the beach — book direct with Flexiestays and skip the booking-site fees.
